Sat, 05/25/2013 - 15:18

Belmont Stakes: Golden Soul has workout delayed

Barbara D. Livingston
Golden Soul has been galloping steadily since the Kentucky Derby.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Dallas Stewart decided on Saturday to wait at least one more day to breeze his Kentucky Derby runner-up Golden Soul.

[BELMONT STAKES: Probable field and latest updates]

Golden Soul has been training steadily, but has not breezed, since finishing 2 1/2 lengths behind Orb in the May 4 Derby. Stewart has been hesitant to commit to a specific date for a workout, which he said “will be a real easy-half mile anyway. The horse is doing great in his gallops every day.”

Sat, 05/25/2013 - 15:16

Belmont: Some space between Joyful Victory, Believe You Can in Phipps Handicap

Shigeki Kikkawa
Joyful Victory, the winner of the Grade 1 Santa Margarita in March, will run May 27 in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Despite there being only six horses in the race, trainer Larry Jones had some trepidation before post positions were drawn for Monday’s Grade 1, $400,000 Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park.

Running two horses with similar running styles – Grade 1 winners Joyful Victory and Believe You Can – Jones did not want the two front-runners next to each other.

So, Jones was quite pleased when Joyful Victory drew the rail and Believe You Can post 6 in the Phipps.

Sat, 05/25/2013 - 15:07

Belmont Park: Watsdachances has score to settle in Sands Point Stakes

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
After running an impressive second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, Watsdachances received a winter freshening.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Watsdachances, beaten at odds-on by Unbelievable Dream in the Appalachian Stakes last month, will look to even the score in Monday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Sands Point Stakes at Belmont Park.

The 19th running of the Sands Point, scheduled for the inner turf at 1 1/16 miles, drew six 3-year-old fillies for turf, along with main-track-only entrant Fusaichiswonderful. It is carded as the seventh of 11 races, and is the first leg of an all-stakes pick four with a $500,000 guaranteed pool. Post time is 4:13  p.m. Eastern.

Sat, 05/25/2013 - 15:03

Monmouth Park: Bella Castani looks solid in Little Silver

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Bella Castani puts a two-race winning streak on the line as the solid favorite on Monday in the Little Silver Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on the turf at Monmouth Park.

The Little Silver and Red Cross for female sprinters, both worth $60,000, are the leading events on the 11-race holiday card starting at 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

After a maiden win at Gulfstream Park, Bella Castani headed north to Belmont Park for a rallying victory in the Tweedside Stakes as the 4-5 choice.

Sat, 05/25/2013 - 15:01

Finger Lakes: Jacobson has solid pair for Barker Handicap

Tom Keyser
Be Bullish earned Beyer Speed Figures of 100 and 92 in his last two starts, a pair of runner-up finishes.

Trainer David Jacobson doesn’t bring many horses to race at Finger Lakes, but when he does, he frequently wins.

Since 2009, Jacobson has gone 6 for 13 (46 percent) with horses shipped to the western New York racetrack. He has a good shot to pad his already-impressive statistics when he saddles the uncoupled entry of Be Bullish and Uncle T Seven, who are pegged as the top two choices on the morning line for Monday’s $50,000 George W. Barker Handicap.

Sat, 05/25/2013 - 14:52

Golden Gate Fields: Tres Borrachos most accomplished runner in All American

ALBANY, Calif. – Monday’s Grade 3, $100,000 All American Stakes at Golden Gate Fields looks like a mismatch on paper.

Millionaire Tres Borrachos drew the rail and has seven rivals, none of whom can match his credentials.

If two Grade 2 victories, a second and a third in Grade 1 events, and seven other stakes placings aren’t enough, handicappers may be swayed by the two straight 100 Beyer Speed Figures the 8-year-old Ecton Park gelding has earned in his most recent starts for trainer Martin Jones.

It almost seems too easy.

Sat, 05/25/2013 - 14:36

Belmont Park: Flat Out perfect on the surface for Met Mile

Courtney Heeney
Flat Out (left), with Junior Alvarado riding, gets up in the final strides to win the Westchester.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Two longstanding handicapping methods will be tested Monday at Belmont Park when Flat Out runs in the Grade 1, $750,000 Metropolitan Handicap, one of the most prestigious races on the New York Racing Association calendar.

Those who subscribe to the horses-for-courses angle will put their money on Flat Out, who is 4 for 4 over Belmont’s main track – 3 for 19 everywhere else – including two wins in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup as well as victories in last year’s Grade 2 Suburban and last month’s Grade 3 Westchester.

Sat, 05/25/2013 - 14:33

Hollywood Park notes: Baffert splitting up Liaison, Game On Dude

Benoit & Associates
Liaison, the winner of the Grade 2 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap on May 4, will run in next Saturday's Grade 2 Californian for trainer Bob Baffert.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Over the next six weeks, trainer Bob Baffert’s runners will be tough to beat in major stakes for older horses on the main track at Betfair Hollywood Park.

In Saturday’s $150,000 Californian Stakes over 1 1/8 miles, Baffert has the leading contender in Liaison, the winner of the Grade 2 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap here May 4. The Grade 2 Californian is the last major prep race for the $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup on July 6.

Sat, 05/25/2013 - 14:18

Hollywood Park: Speed duel likely in Los Angeles Handicap

Benoit & Associates
Fast Bullet has won three of his four starts and will try for his first stakes victory in the Los Angeles Handicap.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – A speed duel between Fast Bullet and Comma to the Top in Monday’s $100,000 Los Angeles Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park may be unavoidable and will be a key factor in how handicappers assess the six-furlong race.

Both 5-year-olds are best when racing on the lead early and could set a blazing pace in the Grade 3 race.

“I’m not going to change his style,” said Bob Baffert, who trains Fast Bullet. “He just goes. He’s fast.”

Sat, 05/25/2013 - 14:12

Churchill Downs: Judy the Beauty has another well-chosen spot in Winning Colors

Barbara D. Livingston
Judy the Beauty, part of the exacta in all eight of her starts, seeks her first graded stakes win in the Winning Colors.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Wesley Ward has been careful in picking his spots for Judy the Beauty, and it has served him and the 4-year-old filly well.

Since starting her career more than two years ago, Judy the Beauty has never finished worse than second in her eight career starts.

“She’s always been right there,” said Ward, who owns and trains the filly and has called on the well-traveled Brazilian jockey Joao Moreira to ride her Monday in the Grade 3 Winning Colors Stakes at Churchill Downs. “Always.”